Does any Gita verse say that the soul is on a multi-life journey of spiritual evolution?
Question. Is there any verse in the Gita which says that we are souls on a multi-life journey of spiritual evolution? Answer. Not exactly.
But we could say that this idea of soul transmigrating from one body to another and having ultimate destination, that is a part of the overall world view of the Bhagavad Gita. And within that world view, we have, for example, the idea that the soul is a part of God and the soul is driven by the senses away from God and by learning to become devoted to God, the soul will go back to God. So that we could say is the whole idea of evolution.
So that is what is talked about in the 15th chapter. In 15.7, Krishna tells Arjuna that we are his parts. For this describes our eternal spiritual position and our current material condition that we have been dragged by the mind and senses.
How we are dragged by the mind and senses, that is explained in the next verse. Krishna says in 15.8 that this mind carries aromas, the soul carries conceptions from one body to another. And then in a new body we get senses and we try to enjoy accordingly.
So during this transmigration, there is not evolution, there is simply exploration. The soul is exploring what will give me happiness. But then the subsequent verses talk about jnana chakshu, acquiring the eyes of knowledge.
That when a soul normally deluded can't see the soul's own condition, transmigration from one body to another, engagement within one body, but with the eyes of knowledge we can see. And subsequent verses tell us what those eyes of knowledge actually are. How to see God in this world as described from 15.12 to 15.
And then how to see God beyond this world as a transcendental reality that is talked about in 15.16, 17 and 18. And then Krishna says that such a person becomes devoted to me and attains me. And in this way somebody who knows me, becomes devoted to me and attains me.
Those who act with this knowledge, they have the most confidential knowledge and their actions know perfection. Now what is that perfection? That is mentioned right in the beginning of this chapter itself. That those who surrender to me, they attain me.
They attain the immeasurable abode, those who surrender to me. Giving up worldly attachments and cultivating spiritual consciousness. The verse before that has talked about that the one who surrenders to me and attains me is the one who is devoted to me and attains me.
So we go to the spiritual level and there we surrender to the supreme spiritual reality. So in a sense, Bhagavad Gita's 15th chapter overall could be said to be a summary of this message. That it could be overall conveying this message.
We go through many lifetimes and we are all meant to evolve towards realizing and loving Krishna.